


walk away

by soldierly



Category: Avengers (Comic), Marvel 616
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-13
Updated: 2012-01-13
Packaged: 2017-10-29 11:09:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/319227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soldierly/pseuds/soldierly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The war is over, Steve Rogers is dead, and Bucky Barnes is done being on Tony Stark's side.</p>
            </blockquote>





	walk away

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be car sex and then ended up bitter angst. Oops. For pali167.

Tony slides in first, and Bucky, still uncomfortable with people holding doors for him like he's some kind of royalty, nods to Happy and pulls the limousine door closed behind him. Inside, it's silent, plush, the whole car drenched in so much red velvet and expensive black leather. Bucky tips his head down, shakes his head when Tony offers him champagne.

After a moment, Tony says, "Bucky."

"Don't."

"Buck."

" _Don't_ , Tony," Bucky snaps, and Tony _flinches_ , actually full-body flinches, and turns his gaze to the window. These last months have changed him dramatically. Bucky grinds his teeth, fighting with apologizing -- he's been doing it since Steve died, tearing himself up with his inability to stop himself from wondering if he did pick the right side. If he was right in staying on Tony's side.

Most of the time, he's sure he wasn't. Neither of them were. They did it with the best intentions, sure, the _best intentions_ , but Bucky knows what they say about Hell.

He doesn't have any right to be going places like they did tonight: big, fancy celebrations where politicians shed money for the _cause_ , all because people like Tony and Bucky show up to parade for them, show them the face of the new future. He hates it, and they both know it, but he keeps going, because --

He's not sure why anymore.

"I want out," he says, staring at his hands. "I'm done with this."

Tony isn't looking at him. "I never expected you to stay."

"Now or before?"

"Both." Tony shrugs, twists his hands together in his lap. "Steve's an easy guy to love."

Bucky snorts. "The great Tony Stark, throwing around emotions?"

Tony's expression goes hard. "What's it matter now?"

"Yeah," Bucky murmurs. "Yeah, I guess." He hunches forward, feeling constrained in his suit -- mostly his tie. He reaches up to loosen it, tugging with two fingers until it's hanging around his neck. "I'm done being shown off like a prize horse, Stark. It's not like it matters. You'll get your funding and your support. Hell, you've got it already. Just keep milking the source, right?"

There's a long silence, and then Tony snaps, "You're not the only one who misses him. You're not the only one who thinks every damn day about what you could have changed, about how you could have saved him. So don't make this -- "

"What, about me?" Bucky turns, his smile vicious. "But it's not about me, Tony. It was never about me, was it, huh? Was always about you. This whole thing was about you, and you're the reason he's -- "

"Get out."

The car stops, as though directly under Tony's command. Bucky throws his door open, goes to step out. He can't stand to be in Tony's company anymore.

Tony seizes his sleeve.

"You thought I was right."

"Yeah." Bucky yanks his arm away. "Shoulda known not to put my faith in someone like you."

 _You shouldn't have said that_ , something whispers to him, but Bucky's changed, too. He pulls the collar of his jacket up higher and keeps going, trudging along the wet road until he's so tired he can barely remember his own name.


End file.
